For the second recipe I love the flavor of all the different beans in a 16 bean soup mix. I thought it would be great to add chicken to the beans for some more flavor. The group thought it was a good idea as well!

Preparation: Prepare 6 pint jars, lids, and rings. Sterilize the jars and keep them in the hot water till its time for processing. Make sure to fill your pressure canner up to the “fill” line. Select mature, dry beans. Cut your chicken breast into 1 inch strips then 1 inch cubes. Set aside.

Cooking: Put the beans in a big pot and cover with water. Bring beans to a quick boil and turn off the heat. Let the beans sit for an hour. Cover the expanded beans with more water and cook them for 30 minutes. Try to keep them at a simmer. Boiling the beans may split them. In a separate pot bring the chicken broth/stock up to a simmer. Before filling your jars turn on medium high flame under your pressure canner. You will want the water to be at a simmer before you add your filled jars.

Filling the jars: On a dishtowel place your hot jars and leave room for your pot that has your beans. Place the bowl with the chicken and the stock near by. Add your beans to the bottom of the jar using your slotted spoon to ladle them only filling to 1/4 of the way. Then add 5 or 6 pieces of the chicken then add more beans to fill the jar ¾ of the way full. Add the broth/stock liquid into the jars leaving 1” headspace. Remove air bubbles and refill to the proper headspace if necessary. Taking a clean papertowel and wipe the rims of the jars with white vinegar removing any food particles that would interfere with a good seal. Using your magic wand extract the lids from the hot water and place them on the now cleaned rims. Add your rings to the tops of each of the jars and turn to seal just "finger tight".

Processing: Make sure your canning water has come to a simmer and place the jars in the pressure canner. Lock the lid and turn up the heat bring the canner to a boil. Vent steam for 10 minutes, then close the vent by adding the weighted gauge or pressure regulator (for dial gauge canner). Process pints for 75 minutes at 10 lbs of pressure (11 lbs for dial gauge canner) and quarts at 90 minutes. When complete turn off the heat and let pressure return to zero naturally. Wait two minutes longer and open vent. Remove canner lid. Wait 10 minutes then remove jars and place on dishtowel in a place that they will sit overnight to cool. Do not touch or move them till the next morning.

Sealing: Some time in the next hour your jars will be making a "pinging" or "popping" noise. That is the glass cooling and the reaction of the lids being sucked into the jar for proper sealing. Some recipes may take overnight to seal. Check your lids and reprocess any jars that did not seal. Remove rings for storage.

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Altitude Adjustments

The gel point method is also noted in many cookbooks and is a process to test the gel of a jam, jelly or preserve. There are two methods of testing using a spoon or a plate.

SHEET TEST

Dip a cold metal spoon into the boiling soft spread. Lift the spoon and hold it horizontally with edge down so that the syrup runs off the edge. As the mixture cooks, the drops will become heavier and will drop off the spoon separately but two at a time. When the two drops join together and “sheet” off the spoon, the gel stage has been reached.

FREEZER TEST

Chill a small saucers in the freezer. Place a teaspoonful of soft spread on the chilled saucer and place in the freezer for 1 minute. Remove the saucer from the freezer and push the edge of the spread with your finger. A mixture that has reached the gel stage will be set, and the surface will wrinkle when the edge is pushed.